2 comments:

I am reminded of the Business-style NMRK cards, remember them? Handsomely printed with The SGI logo, SGI website and one statement "The key to unlocking your highest potential"

These so- called , *shakubuku cards*, were a popular item at local community center SGI bookstores. Volunteering to cashier at the bookstore was called, an activity - for kosen-rufu; sure path to gaining *benefit*. For me, the benefit was noting that Nichiren's Buddhism was packaged, sold and marketed.

Members shared their innovative tips for accomplishing world peace ; they put these SGI business cards in holiday cards, added them to the *tip* they left at restaurants, gave them to panhandlers-- instead of money, because money would probably just be spent on drugs or alcohol anyway-- ohhh the places these NMRK cards ended up. "All good" according to senior leaders, who openly demonstrated they had as little interest in Nichiren's writings as the members who avoided spending $$ on volumes of the Gosho, because "There's a Gosho in every edition of the monthly magazine, 'Living Buddhism'- for crying out loud.

Popular books just happened to be the *study material* for various groups- reminder of the way some professors manage to hawk their books--*required* reading for the class you are *required* to take. All SGI study groups are now in *lock step* , single-mindedly focused on the *one path to attaining Buddhahood*; fusing one's life with the Mentor, Ikeda Sensei*

So, why can't excommunicated SGI members, who have become true followers of Nichiren, just *let it go*??

In the Gosho, letter to Shijo Kingo, "The Hero of the World", Nichiren writes:

"In other words, they have replaced Shakyamuni with another Buddha. There is a difference between the Taoists and Moriya, on the one hand and our contemporary priests on the other in that the former preferred gods to a Buddha while the latter have replaced one Buddha with another. However, they are alike in that they have all abandoned Shakyamuni Buddha. there is no doubt, therefore, that our country will be ruined. "

"If there are any among my followers who are weak in faith and go against what I, Nichiren, say, they will meet with the same fate as did the Soga family. "(see WND vol 1 p. 838-8 for details re: Soga family)

"Those among my disciples who fail to carry through their faith to the end will incur punishment even more severe [than the *Soga family]Even so, they should not harbor a grudge against me. "